Article writing task

An article

•is a piece of writing usually intended for publication in a newspaper, magazine or journal

•is written for a wide audience, so it is essential to attract and retain the readers’ attention

•may include amusing stories, reported speech and descriptions

•can be formal or informal, depending on the target audience

•should be written in an interesting or entertaining manner

•should give opinions and thoughts, as well as facts

•is in a less formal style than a report 

An article can

• describe an experience, event, person or place

• present an opinion or balanced argument

• compare and contrast

• provide information

• offer suggestions

• offer advice

It should consist of:

1.an eye-catching title which attracts the readers’ attention and suggests the theme of the article. (Think about why you read a magazine or newspaper article recently - what made you read it?) Articles can also have subheadings before each paragraph.

2.an introduction which clearly defines the topic to be covered and keeps the reader’s attention.

3.the main body of two to five paragraphs in which the topic is further developed in detail.

4.the conclusion - summarising the topic or a final opinion, recommendation or comment.

Consider these aspects:

•where is the article going to appear - in a newspaper or magazine?

•who are the intended readers - a specific group such as students or teenagers, or adults in general?

•what is the aim of the article - to advise, suggest, inform, compare and contrast, describe, etc.?

Topic sentences

•To ensure unity in a paragraph, it is necessary to group sentences around a main idea.

•This means that it is necessary to begin by finding a theme or Topic Sentence which sums up the main idea of the whole paragraph.

•The best position for this sentence is normally at the beginning of the paragraph, but it need not always be there.

•However, it is preferable when writing an article to place the Topic Sentence at the beginning to help the reader to quickly comprehend the topic of the whole paragraph and minimise the likelihood of losing the theme altogether.

Planning an article

•It can now be seen that in order to write a good article you need first to find the theme or topic sentence which summarises what you are going to write about, and then make a plan.

•This strategy will enable you to write quickly and clearly, help you think of a title more easily and your work will have cohesion.

•Using this method gives the topic sentence of each paragraph and connects it to the other paragraphs.

•These topic sentences can be made into one paragraph and then developed to form a whole article.

•Conversely, these topic sentences, when taken together, can be used to cut down the entire article into a one-paragraph summary of the whole piece.